Revolver holster



March 11, 1930. w. s. swlFT REVOLVER HOLSTER Filed Feb. 15.. 1928 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 OFFICE WILLIAM S. SWIFT, OF WESTERLEIGH, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK REVOLVER HOLSTER Application filed February 15, 1928.

This invention relates to revolver holsters, and more particularly to certain improve ments in the device shown and described in Patent No. 1,635,984, issued July 19, 1927.

Itiisthe primary object and purpose of my present improvements to provide a new construction. and arrangement of latch means carried by the holster which will securely retain the` revolver therein against possibility of accidental loss and which is provided with novel actuating means for the latch element whereby the latter may be positively moved toits released position in the act of grasping the revolver stock, thus permitting the quick 1'5 withdrawal of the revolver from the holster.

It is'` a further general object of the invention to provide such improvements in the patented device whereby its efficiency in practical use will be increased, but without materially increasing the manufacturing cost thereof.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved revolver holster and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing, wherein I have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the device, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the revolver holster provided with my present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein a holster of conventional form is illustrated. as in the patented construction, the holster body 5 is preferably formed of heavy leather or other suitable material cut to proper shape and then bent to provide a relatively wide 50 upper section 6 open at its rear side and a Serial No. 254,351.

longitudinally tapering or contracted lower section 7 which is closed at the rear side thereof. It is understood of course, that the central or intermediate portion of the leather holster body 5 closes both of these upper and lower sections at their front sides.

When the revolver indicated at B, is inserted in the holster, the barrel thereof is received in the lower section 7 of the holster while the body, in which the cylinder is rotatably mounted occupies the upper section 6 of the holster, the trigger guard shown at G, projecting rearwardly through the open side thereof.

Also, as in the patented construction, a plate 8 of substantially Ll -shaped form in cross section bridges the rear open side of the upper section 6 of the holster, the spaced end portions 9 of this plate extending upon the outer faces of the side walls of the holster section 6 to which they may be permanently secured by rivets or other preferred means indicated at 10.

The intermediate portion of the plate 8 extending between the side walls of the holster section 6 is provided with a vertically eX- tending recess 11 opening upon the upper edge of said plate and terminating in spaced relation to the lower edge thereof to provide a seat 12 for the trigger guard G of the rew volver'. At one side of this seat, the edge of the recess 11 has its upper end preferably curved laterally towards one side wall of the holster section 6 as indicated at 13.

Upon the inner side of the plate 8 below the seat 12 a latch lever 15 is pivotally mounted as indicated at 16. Above the pivot 16, the latch lever terminates in a hook 17 which is positioned in a plane substantially parallel with the plate 8, the lower edge of said hook being spaced above the seat 12. The upper edge of said hook is formed with the curved cam face 18. A suitable spring 19 is attached at one of its ends to the lower end of the plate 8 and has its other end suitably connected with the lever 15 at one side of its pivot 16, said spring normally holding the lever in the position shown in full lines in 3 of the drawing.

The plate 8 at one side of the recess 11 is provided with a vertically extending slot 20 which is inclined outwardly from its upper end towards one end portion 9 of said plate. Intermediate of its ends one edge of this slot 20 is provided with a notch or recess 21. The latch actuating member consists of a metal plate bent to provide a finger directing wing 22 having a flange 23 extending at right angles to the plane thereof and slidably engaged against the outer face of the plate 8. Spaced screws or pins 24 and 25 respectively, are carried by the flange 23 and are movably engaged in the slot 20. The head of the lower screw 24 has bearing contact upon the cam surface 18 of the hook 17 of the latch lever. The flange 23 at its lower end is provided with an angularly projecting lug 26 with which the end of the linger positioned against theouter side of the wing 22 is adapted to engage.

The end 9 of the plate 8 adjacentto the latch operating member is provided with a Slot 27 to accommodate the latchlever 15, and the edge of the side wall of the holster section 6 for the length of this slot is of course, cut away or recessed.

In the use of the device as above described, it will be -understood that when the revolver is inserted into the holster, the trigger guard G projecting from the rear side thereof readily enters the upper end of the recess 11, and by contact either with the curved edge 13 of said recess or with the wing 22, is directed upon the upper cam edge 18 of the lever 15, thereby rocking this lever upon the pivot stud 16, and permitting the trigger guard to engage upon the seat- 12. IVhen the guard is so positioned, the spring 19 returns the lever 15 to normal position thereby engaging the hook 17 of said lever over the lower portion ofthe trigger guard to securely retain said guard upon the seat. Therefore, no amount of agitation, as when the wearer is running, will result in an upward mov-ement of the revolver in the holster whereby it might become entirely displaced therefrom and lost.

Notwithstanding the provision of such a safety guard for the revolver, it is evident that by reason of my improved actuating means for the latch lever, the revolver may be very quickly withdrawn or removed from the holster. This may be accomplished in the act of grasping the revolver stock, by moving the forefinger of the hand downwardly upon the outer side of the wing 22 until the finger tip bears upon the lug 26 so that upon further downward pressure, the actuating member is forced downwardly on the plate 8, the screw head 24 by its bearing contact on the cam edge 18 rocking the latch lever against the action of spring 19 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. of the drawings. and thereby disengagingr the lever hook 17 from the trigger guard. When the lever actuating pin 24 is in the lower end of the slot 20, the upper pin or screw 25 is located opposite the recess 2l., and the shank of said screw will enter said recess, thus locking the actuating element against upward movement and holding the latch lever in its released position so that it will not inany way interfere with the rapid withdrawal of the revolver from the holster.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have made a very desirable improvement in the original patenteddevice, and one which will eliminate the necessity of a horizontal movement of the linger for the purpose of actuating the pivoted latch element and accomplishing such movement of the latch element to its released position merely by the act of grasping the rearwardly projecting stock of the revolver. Also, by means of my improvements, when desired the latch element may be held in its released or inoperative position so that t-he revolver can be repeatedly inserted or withdrawn without requiring the actuation of the latch device. It will also be noted that my improvements accomplish the above purposes without materially complicating the prior patented construction, the additional actuating element for the latch lever being of very simple form, so that its addition to the original device will not greatly increase the manufacturing and selling cost thereof. I have herein shown and described a practical embodiment of the invention which I have found to be very desirable in practical use. Nevertheless, it will be understood that the essential features of my improvements might also .be incorporated in various other alternative forms, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resortingto all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of my invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A revolver holster having an upper section open at its rear side, a plate fixed to the side walls of said holster section and bridging the rear open side thereof, said plate having a vertical recess .open at its upper end to receive the trigger guard of the revolver and provided at its lower end with a seat for said guard, a latch lever pivotally mounted upon said bridge plate below said seat, said lever having a hook on one end, a spring connected with said lever to hold the same against pivotal movement and retain the hook thereof over the trigger guard, and an actuating member mounted on the bridge plate for movement in a plane parallel to the plane of movement of the latch, said member having means slidably engaged with the latch leverto move the latter to its released position.

2. A revolver holster having an upper section open at its rear side, a plate fixed to the side walls of said holster section and bridging the rear open side thereof, said plate having a vertical recess open at its upper end to receive the trigger guard of the revolver and provided at its lower end with a seat for said f guard, a latch lever pivotally mounted upon said bridge plate below said seat, said lever having a hook on one end, a spring connected with said lever to hold the same against pivotal movement and retain the hook thereof over the trigger guard, an actuating member vertically movable upon the bridge 4plate at one side of said recess and having a finger engaging lug and a flange for directingthe nger into contact with said lug, and said actuating member and the latch lever having parts coacting with each other in the movement of said member in one direction to move said lever against the action of said spring to its released position.

3. A revolver holster' having an upper section open at its rear side, a plate fixed to the side walls of said holster section and bridging the rear open side thereof, said plate having a vertical recess open at its upper end to receive the trigger guard of the revolver and provided at its lower end with a seat for said guard, a latch lever pivotally mounted upon said bridge plate below said seat, said lever having a hook on one end, a spring connected with said lever to hold the same against pivotal movement and retain thehook thereof over the trigger guard, an actuating member vertically movable upon the bridge plate at one side of said recess and having a finger engaging lug and a flange for directing the finger into contact with said lug, and said actuating member and the latch lever having parts coacting with each other in the movement of said member in one direction to move said lever against the action of said spring to its released position, and means for latching said actuating member in the latter position.

4. A revolver holster having an upper section open at its rear side, a plate fixed to the y; side walls of said holster section and bridging the rear open side thereof, said plate having a vertical recess open at its upper end to receive the trigger guard of a revolver, a latch lever pivotally mounted upon the inner side of said plate below the recess and having a hook to engage the trigger guard of the revolver to prevent withdrawal of the latter from the holster, said hook having a cam edge, an actuating member for the latch lever slidably mounted upon said plate and having a part engageable by the finger in the act of grasping the revolver stock to move said member in one direction, and a pin carried by said member and coacting with the cam edge of i the lever hook to disengage said hook from the trigger guard of the revolver.

5. A revolver holster having an upper section open at its rear side, a plate fixed to the side walls of said holster section and bridging 'f the rear open side thereof, said plate having a vertical recess open at its upper end to receive the trigger guard of a revolver, a latch lever pivotally mounted upon the inner side of said plate below the recess and having a hook to engage the trigger guard of the revolver to prevent withdrawal of the latter from the holster, said hook having a cam edge, an actuating member for the latch lever slidably mounted upon said plate and having a part engageable by the finger in the act of grasping the revolver stock to move said member in one direction, a pin carried by said member and coacting with the cam edge of the lever hook to disengage said hook from the trigger guard of the revolver, and means for releasably locking said actuating member against movement of the bridge plate to retain the latch lever in its released position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

WM. S. SWIFT. 

